United States congressional lawmakers are working with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to hatch out a plan to lift the country's debt ceiling this month without the need for Republican votes.
The strategy was a byproduct of discussions between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and McConnell. The negotiations between the two officials would tie the raising of the debt ceiling to a non-controversial Medicare bill.
Raising the Debt Ceiling
In a statement to reporters on Tuesday, McConnell said that he believed they have come to a conclusion on what to do to address the debt ceiling issue that remains consistent with Republican views. On the other hand, Schumer said that Democrats supported the approach because it was not risky or lengthy.
The new strategy would connect debt limit provisions to legislation that prevents automatic cuts to Medicare in a multi-vote process. The proposal would allow the American government's borrowing authority to be lifted with only a simple majority vote in the 50-50 Senate, which is more likely after the 2022 midterm elections, NBC News reported.
The new plan will ensure that the debt ceiling legislation cannot be changed and be immediately accepted by the Senate. The debate over the legislation would be limited to 10 hours, and, once approved, the increase would be sent to the House.
However, McConnell faced criticism for his deal with Democrats after briefing his party members behind closed doors regarding the new legislation. Many argued about what the plan could create in the future. Some also raised concerns that the plan will be folded into a bill to prevent Medicare cuts.
In a statement, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota expressed his thoughts that there were lots of concerns over the legislation, saying that voting either yes or no was still a wrong decision. The official told McConnell that it was better to have a plan that 40 Republicans supported instead of having only 10 GOP members to advance the bill, CNN reported.
Without Republican Votes
McConnell previously told reporters that there was always a difference of opinion among Republicans on handling sensitive issues such as the country's debt ceiling. However, the minority leader said that he was confident that the particular deal he made with Democrats and the avoidance of Medicare cuts would be enough to gain Republican support to reach the 60-vote threshold.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham previously noted he wanted Democrats to use the budget reconciliation process if they wanted to raise the debt ceiling in the country. He previously said he did not want the debt ceiling hike tied to Medicare, protesting the provision.
On the other hand, some GOP members support the idea of Democrats raising the debt ceiling on their own without any Republican votes. Republican Sen. John Cornyn said that he would support the idea and let Democrats be accountable for racking up the country's debt.
The legislation released by McConnell and Schumer resulted from weeks of conversations and would suspend filibuster rules for a debt ceiling increase for roughly one month. However, the legislation would require Democrats to increase the nation's debt ceiling to a specific number instead of a set time, Politico reported.
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